The hunt for exoplanets at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

 

Concord, NH --The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center looks forward to welcoming John Gianforte as the speaker for the November Super Stellar Friday. John is the Director of the University of New Hampshire Observatory, among other roles with UNH. His main astronomical research interests include the observation and analysis of transits of exoplanets, and the characterization of exo-planetary systems.

On Friday November 1, John will give a talk about the hunt for exoplanets. He will cover some of the techniques used to detect and confirm them, how many have been found thus far, and the characteristics of select exoplanets. In addition, he will be covering some of the exoplanet observations students at UNH are making during their studies of exoplanets. This event will take place on November 1, and doors will open at 6:30 pm with the presentation beginning at 7 pm. Afterward, there will also be time for a Q&A with John.

 

John teaches Astronomy and Physics courses for the Physics and Astronomy Department at UNH in Durham and has taught Astronomy-related courses for the USNH System since 2002. In his role at UNH, he directs the activities and programs at the UNH Observatory, teaches a wide range of students about the beauty and wonders of our universe, and conducts outreach and education on many different platforms across the state and beyond.

 

Super Stellar Friday is a monthly event hosted by the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. Along with a guest speaker presentation, attendees can look forward to exploring the exhibits, watching our popular planetarium show, Tonight’s Sky, and weather allowing, look at the stars with New Hampshire Astronomical Society.

 

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center features 21st century interactive exhibits on aviation, astronomy, Earth and space sciences, an all-digital, 10K full-dome planetarium and a wide variety of science, technology, and engineering and mathematics programs. The engaging, robust educational programs are geared towards families, teens, seniors, students, community groups and lifelong learners.

 

For more information, visit www.starhop.com.